Why is CRISPR Cas9 gene editing such a big deal? Imagine being able to make mutations in any gene you wanted say in stem cells in a relatively simple, quick and affordable fashion? Sounds exciting, huh? Every so often a new kind of technology comes along in the biomedical sciences that is a true game […]
CRISPR Cas9 Gene Editing Tech Will Revolutionize Biology Read More »
I have a soft spot for fibroblasts, perhaps because one of the first immortalized cell lines I ever grew was NIH3T3. These are mouse fibroblasts that have been immortalized. They are very useful for a variety of experiments. I used them to study an oncogene called E2A-PBX1. Experience with fibroblasts including 3T3s I was amazed
Weekly reads: fibroblasts, gene-editing, Mitalipov, personhood, embryos Read More »
The FDA has been busy with the COVID pandemic but it has many other things on its plate as well including cell therapies. Today I’m sharing some recent agency news and brief perspectives on it. FDA focus on clinic-related umbilical cord cell drug makers The agency warned an Idaho company that produces and sells umbilical
FDA news: warning letter pattern, cancer moonshot, CAR-T & gene-editing guidance Read More »
The paper of the week reports using base-editing, a kind of gene-editing, to reverse mutations associated with rapid aging syndromes, generally called progeria, but there are a lot of other interesting pubs to recommend for reading this week. I go over it all in this post. Gene-editing to fight premature aging syndromes In vivo base
Weekly reads & paper of the week: gene-editing vs. aging Read More »
As a pivotal advance in the gene-editing field and timeline, CRISPR continues to be utilized for research on stem cells and human diseases. Today, I will explain some of the most notable recent findings in the stem cell-CRISPR field. To start things off, I have also created an infographic that briefly explains what CRISPR-Cas9 is,
New research on CRISPR gene-editing in stem cells, infographic Read More »
There is growing interest in a possible new reproductive method based on something called in vitro gametogenesis or IVG. Today’s post explains IVG including its potential pros and cons. I also discuss why its possible combination with gene editing is so potentially fraught, which is a big potential con. Let’s start with an explanation of this
Did you predict the major events in the stem cell and regenerative medicine field this year? I tried and today’s post are the grades on my predictions. Prediction is a key part of being a scientist even if we may not think about it that much. For instance, we have to try to predict what
Grading my 20 stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions for 2024 Read More »
Toward the end of each year I make predictions for the stem cell and regenerative medicine field for the coming year. I’ve been doing this for more than a dozen years in various forms. In this post I’m looking at the (gene-edited, stemness enriched) tea leaves for 2025 for the regenerative arena. These predictions include
25 stem cell & regenerative medicine predictions for 2025 Read More »
New research on stem cell patches is exciting. However, more broadly, “stem cell patches” can mean very different things. What I’m talking about here are the types of patches that can repair holes or other problems with tissues. This is a powerful regenerative approach. In contrast, I’m not a fan of the type of stem cell
Weekly reads: stem cell patches, helicase editing, hearing loss, Astellas, Dr. No Read More »
Could there be stem cell doping or gene doping at the ongoing Paris Olympics right now? I’ve wondered about such things happening throughout several past Olympics. In fact, I asked this kind of question 12 years ago. Authorities are taking such possibilities even more seriously. What would stem cell doping mean? How could cells or
Why gene and stem cell doping at the Olympics is banned but likely happening Read More »